The Kitchen Industry Revealed – Part Two: The People Behind The Kitchen Industry

You may have noticed all the wonderful new kitchen magazine features in Spring. As well as all the ubiquitous online articles about kitchens. This is because kitchens and spring go hand in hand. Sales are on the increase, tax season is here, but what else affects the kitchen industry? In this article we will be focusing on the people involved at every stage, and how they influence the spring kitchen cabinetry season.

The kitchen industry and springtime go hand in hand. There are many different factors influencing the cycles of the kitchen industry and, in this three-part series, we want to take you on a spring cabinetry journey. In part one, we’ve already discussed the products and the processes behind their development and production. Now, we will be discussing all the people involved.

It’s quite amazing to know the number of stages your cabinets go through before they arrive at your doorstep. You might even discover some surprising factors which influence the kitchen industry. So get ready to understand the nitty-gritty details that make your home projects possible.

After part two, we will discuss the environment and how this affects the industry. You will be able to use all the vital information from these articles to make sure your kitchen refit goes smoothly and you realize your kitchen dreams. Rest assured, you won’t be the ones caught out just before Christmas with no contractor!

People Behind The Spring Kitchen Cabinetry Rush

A large network of people makes up the kitchen cabinetry industry. Each group has their own particular functions: From cabinet designers to producers, to manufacturers, to the contractor and the buyers (you), everyone has a role. Each group of people exerts some influence on the rhythms of the industry. Together they drive the kitchen industry to go into overdrive in spring.

The people involved can be broadly divided into four groups:

Group One: Producer

At the production level, you have cabinet designers and the manufacturer. These are the people at the very start of the chain. The designer sets everything in motion with their ideas and the manufacturer aims to make the designer’s vision a reality.

Group Two: Sellers

Sellers begin with the wholesalers who are selling to the dealer. The dealer, then, has kitchen designers who he collaborates with. The designer works with the clients to make sure the kitchens fit their tastes and are functional. In other words, the designer uses the products to build a vision, a dream for the buyer. Then come to the sales reps, who act like the lynchpin between the designers, the manufacturers and the customers. The sales reps negotiate the rates they buy up the cabinets for, and the rates they sell them to you.

Group Three: Installers

This little group has one title and one purpose: They are the contractors. They will be the ones who install your perfect kitchen into your home. Without them, your dream kitchen would remain just that – a dream!

Group Four: Buyers

This is the group that matters the most to all the other groups. You, the homeowner, who is looking for a dream kitchen. Whether you want to breathe new life into your old kitchen with a “makeover” or you want to do a major refit, all the people on the line work to make your dream a reality.

How These People Affect The Chain

Every person in the chain exercises some influence on the kitchen industry. All these influences combine to result in the spring kitchen madness. But, what are the unique perspectives and motivations of each group?

Producers

In general, spring weather is quite stable. There is neither too much rain nor too much sun. Even in the parts of the world with the most extreme weather, we see more favorable conditions in spring. What it means is that cabinet designers can run tests with their latest designs. Then, based on the results they can make adjustments if needed. Also, the producers have to take into account the availability of materials. In spring, we see an abundance of materials and the availability of raw materials soars. This allows warehouses to fulfill their stock needs quickly, with the improved products.

Cabinet Designers

The designers working on cabinet designs like to test their new products in the spring. This is because the soft light, mild temperatures, and low humidity combine to give ideal testing conditions.

Sellers

In spring, sellers begin to negotiate the purchase rates with the suppliers and other carriers of the products. If they are able to negotiate a good deal they are then motivated, throughout the new season, to work harder and potentially make more profit.

Kitchen Designers

The kitchen designer has a multifaceted role in the industry. They are the people with a creative vision which they want to exercise. They are the ones tasked to bring dreams of their clients into reality using their skills. Yet, they also act as salespersons because they are they communicate directly with clients. The spring season is an inspiring time of the year for creatives, and designers tend to be at their best, finding inspiration from new emerging trends and the season itself.

Contractors

Contractors are very important in the industry. They aren’t buying or selling, yet, without them, we would all be very stuck. They are the ones who fit kitchens after their design and purchase. The importance of the contractor is particularly felt in winter when many homeowners want to remodel their kitchen between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yet, at this time of year, it’s hard to find contractors because many of them want to spend time with family – like the rest of us. In spring, however, the contractors come back from visiting family, or from travelling and are ready to get back to work. They know this is the time when their work is most in demand and they make themselves readily available after March. And this applies across the board – whether they are Americans or people working here with families abroad, such as in Mexico or Asia.

Homeowners/ Buyers

Last, but not the least, we find you, the buyer at the end of the chain. People will have a plethora of reasons why they might particularly want to refit their kitchen at a given moment. Perhaps, they finally have some money available that they wish to spend on their home. Or, perhaps, only now they have the time to focus on their kitchen and home. In short, different factors go behind the decision to start thinking about a kitchen remodel.

Here are some common reasons that drive buyers to think about new kitchens in spring:

Tax Season

The spring is also the tax season, and we hope in your case this means some extra cash in hand. Tax returns allow people to relax and enjoy spending the money on themselves or their homes.

Good Weather

Like the designers, people typically feel more positive in spring. The temperatures are finally warming up, flowers are pushing their way up in the garden, and the days are getting longer. All these signs, heralding summer on the way, remind people of how they would like their kitchen to be. They would like to be ready for long summer days entertaining, holding barbecues, and making delicious iced desserts. For many people, thinking about the coming summer, makes their thoughts immediately turn to their kitchens and how they’d like it to be.

Life Events/ Holiday Season

Perhaps, you have recently moved house and the kitchen is not to your taste. Or, perhaps, during the holiday season, you finally got fed up with the awkward placement of your stove and sink – all those people visiting sometimes have a way of rooting out the shortcomings in your current kitchen! Either way, life events or the just-passed holidays could be the start of a new dream for a beautiful kitchen.

In The End

Now, after part two in our series, we hope you understand all the people involved in the production of kitchens and their different roles. You now know how your kitchen gets transformed from being just raw materials. There are different reasons why different groups of people get involved in the process during spring, and why this season is the perfect time to think about a new kitchen. Use this information to make your plans and ensure you’re not desperately trying to find a contractor in the winter.